1. The Handwriting on the Wall
Daniel 5

2. Introduction Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 BC after ruling for 43 years
His son, Evil-Merodach, succeeded 2Kgs 25:27
After two years he was assassinated by Nergilissar, his brother-in-law (560 BC)
Nergilissar in turn died four years later (556 BC), leaving the throne to his infant son, Labashi-Marduk
9 months later the priests lead a revolt and kill Labashi-Marduk
Nabonidus, the son of a priestess, is made king

3. Nabonidus
Nabonidus may have been a priest of the moon god, like his mother
After ruling 3 years, he appoints his son, Belshazzar, as co-regent
Nabonidus goes to the city of Tayma, a site of moon worship, and remains there 10 years
In 540 BC he returns to gather an army to defend against a Persian army
In 539 BC Nabonidus takes the army to set up a defensive line or perhaps to attack the Persian invaders
Belshazzar is still left as king in Babylon charged with the defense of the city

4. The Feast Dan 5:1-3 Belshazzar throws a big feast
By the Babylonian calendar, this may have been in honor of Shammash, the god of justice
Or may be a celebration of expected victory of Nabonidus over Cyrus, the Persian
Nebuchadnezzar had taken gold and silver vessels from the temple in Jerusalem 2 Chr 36:10
Nebuchadnezzar not his literal “father”
Either in the meaning of “predecessor”
Or perhaps he or his father married Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter or a granddaughter
Or perhaps a “political lie”
Belshazzar uses the vessels in the feast
Perhaps thinking it is a reminder of previous Babylonian victories

5. The Feast
Dan 5:4
They “praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone”
The king and guests foolishly praised the creation rather than the Creator
Probably thanking their “gods” for the past victory over Israel and their hoped for future victory over Persia
Either felt the battle was already over or would be the next day
Both armies were deployed for battle a couple days journey away from Babylon

6. Application Would we ever stoop so low? We do if we are covetous!
Worship the gods of silver and gold?
Become guilty of idolatry?
We do if we are covetous!
Eph 5:5; Col 3:5
Making mammon (material riches) our god (Mt 6:24)
Making created things the prime focus of our time and interest

7. The hand writing on the wall
Dan 5:5-6
The fingers of a hand appears and write on a wall where the light is shining
Whether the writing is like charcoal on the plaster
Or like Babylonian writing, carved into the plaster wall, is unknown
The king sees the hand writing and . . .
“countenance changed” lit. “cheerfulness frustrated”
“thoughts troubled him” lit. “thoughts terrified him”
“his loins were loosed” (KJV) euph. “wet himself”
“his knees knocked against each other”

8. Looking for an explanation
Dan 5:7-9
Calls for the wise men, etc and asks for an interpretation
Offers great rewards, including the third highest position in the kingdom
Belshazzar is only in the second position himself behind his father
The wise men can’t even read the writing, so they can offer no interpretation
Now the king is even more terrified and even less cheerful

9. Looking for an explanation
Dan 5:10-12
The queen could be Belshazzar’s wife
Could be his mother or grandmother
Could be the wife of one of the previous kings (which would include Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter, if she is still alive)
Queen uses language like Nebuchadnezzar’s to describe Daniel and his God
Queen also seems to rub the “your father Nebuchadnezzar” in the king’s face
Makes sense if she is a descendant of Nebuchadnezzar and is pointing out how unlike him the king is

10. Daniel Dan 5:13-16 Daniel brought in
Apparently lost his position during all the changes of government
70+ years old now, quite likely around 80
King pretends to know all about Daniel
Even though he only knows what the queen just told him (or perhaps her words reminded him of things he had been told)
Perhaps hoping to flatter Daniel to get a good interpretation
Also offers the same reward
Would return Daniel to a high (even higher) position

11. Reminders Dan 5:17-23 Daniel not interested in gifts and rewards
Unlike the king he does not worship the creation
Tells the king what happened to Nebuchadnezzar when he became too proud
How Nebuchadnezzar finally acknowledged that God ruled over the kingdoms of men
Belshazzar has insulted the God who holds his life in His hands
By defiling the vessels from His temple
By praising idols at the same time

12. The Interpretation Dan 5:24-28 "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin"
Lit. “Numbered, numbered, weighed, divided”
Even though the words were Chaldean, since the wise men couldn’t read them, probably written with Hebrew letters
MENE – God numbered the length of the Babylonian kingdom – Time’s up!
TEKEL – God weighed Belshazzar as a king – He doesn’t measure up to what a king should be
UPHARSIN – (PERES is the singular) – God has divided (broken) the kingdom and given it to the Medes and Persians

13. The Results Dan 5:29-31 Daniel is given the offered rewards
Short-lived though they were
That night, Babylon fell to Cyrus
While Nabonidus waited for battle across from the main Persian army
Cyrus sent a small army around the Babylonians under his general Darius the Mede
He used slaves to cut a channel diverting the river which flowed beneath the walls of Babylon
Allowed his small army to enter beneath the walls and capture Babylon without a fight (only Belshazzar was slain) - October 12, 539 BC
Nabonidus later surrendered

14. Conclusion
Luke 12:15-21
How quickly the proud and boastful can fall, despite power and wealth
One day a proud, boastful king
The next a dead man
Sooner or later, everyone will face God’s judgment
Are you prepared?